Movies: Caught Between Heaven and Hell

Richard Corliss reviews Constantine

Halfway through Constantine, a fully clad Keanu Reeves steps into a shallow pail of water, sits on a chair next to it and holds a cat in his lap. Any actor who can retain his charisma in this weird-silly moment--can keep us watching, and admiring his dutiful nonchalance--deserves to be called a movie star.

In this adaptation of a renowned graphic novel, Reeves is an L.A. detective whose job involves casting devils out of Angelenos. (He's the detexorcist!) He has to deal with both demons and angels, who in the normal state of affairs influence humans without directly interfering. But now,...